Earth System Topics

Hydrology

Investigative Case - "Goodbye Honey Buckets"part of Examples Students will investigate arctic geology and hydrology as well as tundra ecology as they consider options for sewage treatment. Public safety, environmental impact, and issues of construction and engineering will be explored.

Investigative Case - "Holy Starbucks Batman!"part of Examples Students will investigate caffeine as a potential new pollutant in a northwest river system. Effects of caffeine on invertebrates and salmon fry will be explored through field work and lab work.

Investigative Case - "Home, Home on the River"part of Examples Students will examine the complex issues that result from human use of ecologically sensitive areas. The students will investigate these issues from the point of view of their major/career path.

Investigative Case - "Rio Grande Wildlife Refuge"part of Examples As professional ecologists working for the fish and wildlife service, students must develop a plan to manage a new wildlife refuge along the Rio Grande River. The fish and wildlife service plans to connect forest islands along the river, which will become not only a new refuge but also a "wildlife corridor."

Earth System Topics:Biosphere:Ecology, Hydrology, Biosphere

Investigating Regional Hydrogeology of the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plainpart of Examples Exercise to recognize regional groundwater flow in the Cretaceous aquifers of the North Carolina and Virginia Coastal Plain and their changes through time. Includes interpreting flow before and after human withdrawals, so students can discover impacts on the groundwater system, especially for depletion and saltwater intrusion.